Abstract

When the flood waters are rising, who'll do the maps?
Track: Disaster and Emergency Management
Authors: Christina Boggs, Jonathan Mulder, Jaime Matteoli, Jane Schafer-Kramer

During an emergency, tensions are high and time is of the essence; streamlining emergency GIS work is of utmost importance. Using an existing guideline for fire emergency GIS management; this DWR team customized a manual to present existing GIS resources within the department for Flood Emergency Response. GIS Specialists are given file name and metadata conventions, armed with minimum essential datasets, map templates, and a special DWR Flood Emergency Response Style Sheet to standardize symbology. Not to be overlooked is the importance of data archiving and sharing as well as transitioning during team changes. Audience members who are familiar with National Wildfire Coordinating Group's GSTOP would be interested to see how modifications can be made to satisfy multi-hazard needs. This manual was prepared and released with position specific training, a physical toolbox and a slew of digital resources to help GIS folks streamline GIS work when things get wet!